Lonely Eyes, Lonely Soul
by Nirika-chan
Summary: Shino has a problem that only Nirika can help him with. Shino's never noticed her before...how will Nirika respond, and how will the night that follows bring them closer together? ShinoXOC. Complete, and desperate for reviews! Rated T to be safe.
1. A Beautiful Morning

**This is my first fanfic I wrote using mine and my friends OC's Nirika, Raian and Mitsuko. Their character descriptions are in my account now, so feel free to look at them before reading (or not). Really, all you need to know to understand this story is something about Nirika...and the fact that Raian hates bugs. A lot. Enjoy the story, and remember: Reviews are good, like ramen. Very, very good... **

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"Nngyaa…so cold…"

Nirika's eyes fluttered open and glanced over at her bedside table. The digital clock's numbers showed that it was 9:17 in the morning. She shivered, her whole body shaking with cold, then realized that she had accidentally kicked the blankets off her bed while she had been sleeping. Groaning, she sat up slowly, trying not to move her body. Cautious as she was, a sharp stinging pain shot up her spine, making her wince. Yesterday's training hadn't gone too well for her. She knew that Raian had been improving on his taijutsu for quite some time, but she hadn't realized he had become _that _powerful. He had been juggling her in the air with some combination punches before slamming his leg into her spine, sending her face-first into the ground. Even though he had apologized profusely, and Mitsuko had managed to heal her a little, she was worried that he might've broken a vertebra or two.

"Damn it, this really hurts…Raian, you _baka_."

After fixing up her bed, her eyes caught something moving over by her open window. It wasn't until she got closer that she could see the fluttering object clearly.

"A butterfly?…"

It was the most gorgeous butterfly Nirika had ever seen. Its wings were a glossy, shimmering blue, and when the light hit them, they turned different shades of green and turquoise. Nirika brushed back her fine black hair and tentatively held out her finger. She was surprised when the butterfly drifted up, then down, before making a soft landing on the tip of her finger. She could feel the antennae tickling each subtle groove of her fingertip as the insect examined her. Suddenly, it rose off of her finger and flew out of the window. Nirika watched it skim over the Konoha rooftops before disappearing from her line of sight.

"Wonder what that was all about…And it was such a pretty butterfly, too."

She glanced over at her clock again.

"Crap! 9:35! I'm going to be late!"

With that, she hurried out of her bedroom in order to take a shower. She failed to notice the tiny ladybug, no bigger than her fingernail, quietly tucking itself into her weapon pouch.


	2. An Unexpected Invitation

**The second chapter! I was hoping for at least one review before I put this up...but I guess that's not going to happen. Please review if you do take the time to read this- it would help me out tremendously! Thank you!

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"Phew…I'm so glad that today's over and done with."

"Did they really tire you out that much, Nirika-san?"

"Enough to make me never want to teach again!"

Iruka Umino smiled, his face lighting up. "Just be sure that you'll show up tomorrow. I really need you here to help with their wall-climbing exercises."

"Yeah, yeah. You know, I'm starting to believe that you couldn't do a thing without me here to help."

To her surprise, Iruka said, "No, I probably couldn't. Thank you again for supervising them during recess today. I know it was hard on you..."

"No, really!" she interrupted. "It was no big deal at all. I'm training to become a teacher, aren't I? Digging a shuriken out of my back should be the least of my worries!" Nirika laughed nervously.

"Just be sure to clean it up when you get home. I'll make sure he gets detention for the next month at least!"

"N...no, Iruka..."

"Why not?"

"Because then I'll be the one responsible for him! You assigned me detention duty last week, remember?"

"Aww...dammit. Well, I'll be sure to figure out some sort of punishment for him. See you tomorrow, Nirika."

"Bye, Iruka-sensei!"

What a day. Her teaching internship with Iruka was becoming more and more complicated. She loved all of the students, and she treated them as if they were her own children, but sometimes…they were just too much. Today, she had had to break up Konohamaru's gang when he had suggested playing shuriken tag at recess. As a result, she had gotten hit in the exact same spot Raian's leg had impacted her. Oh well, she thought, massaging her lower back. Her eyes closed as she heaved out a sigh. Kids will be kids, no matter what you try to tell them otherwise…

"Oof!" she breathed as she stumbled into someone. "I'm sorry…"

She found herself looking up at the small black spectacles and upturned collar that covered much of Shino Aburame's face. She cringed a little as his glasses shifted to glare down at her. Had she angered him at all? She hoped not...

Truth be told, she was afraid of Shino. It wasn't the fact that he had bugs living inside of his body that crawled out through tiny black holes in his skin to battle. Instead she feared the glasses, the glasses he never took off. She shrank away every time she had caught him staring at her from an angle across a room, his shifting lenses catching the light, alerting her to his presence. She cringed when she though of his grim personality, his unusual formality towards people, his dark and serious demeanor. And yet, as much as she feared him, she was curious. Curious as to what kind of eyes were hiding away under those round shades. Curious as to what kind of body lurked underneath that all-too suspicious coat…But now, it was the fear that had taken over. She flinched, waiting...

He did nothing.

"Sh…Shino?"

He cleared his throat solemnly and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump in alarm. He took a deep breath, then spoke:

"Nirika…I need to ask you a favor."

She was shocked. She never expected someone like Shino to ask for help, let alone ask _her _for help. They had never been very close, and knew very little about one another. What was he thinking? "Ummm…okay, what is it?"

He cleared his throat again.

"I need you to come over to my house tonight. My father and I…well, we have a little problem on our hands, and I think you're the only one who can help us out. I'll explain more when you get there."

He removed his hand from her shoulder and started to walk away. "Show up at six, alright?"

Nirika couldn't move. She kept her eyes fixated on Shino as he sauntered away, the back of his jacket swishing behind him. Had he really just asked her to come over? Tonight? She groaned as she thought of all the papers she had to correct, but...maybe this would be a nice break. Then again...this was Shino, the boy she feared and loved. Anything could happen. She sighed a little as she began to walk home again, her various thoughts of the Aburame boy swirling around in her head, and started to wonder if maybe, just maybe, she could see what was behind those glasses tonight.


	3. An Interesting Dinner

_Knock, knock._

She heard a shuffling sound a moment later from behind the door as someone approached it. She heard a click, the door opened partway, and she was greeted by yet another pair of dark glasses. These were the ones worn by Shibi Aburame, Shino's father.

"Please come in, Nirika. We've been expecting you."

He opened the door all the way, allowing her to step inside. She politely took off her shoes at the entrance and looked up, stunned by what she saw.

Plants. Everywhere, foliage was everywhere. The floors were coated with a vibrant green moss, a natural carpet that you could easily find in the woods surrounding Konoha. On the walls, she could just make out the tiny forms of bugs moving in and out of the thick ivy that protected the dark wood paneling underneath. Insects were bobbing up and down the halls, either to the living room to feast on the nectar the gigantic flowerpots provided, or the sunroom to bask in the warm glow of the red light, or the kitchen to see if any food had been left out for them. Nirika was amazed. It was an enchanted forest, pure and simple, straight out of the picture books she had read as a child.

From somewhere far away, she heard Shibi's deep voice call, "Shino! Your friend has arrived!"

Nirika was confused. Friend? She wasn't Shino's friend at all; she was just a guest in his house, a guest that had offered her time to help out with a problem she didn't know anything about. How dare his father think that there was something more between them! Shino was just…

"Good evening, Nirika-san."

Shino appeared quite suddenly in front of her, and solemnly extended his hand while bowing slightly. He looked so different from the boy she had bumped into that afternoon that she had to stop herself from gasping with surprise. Instead of his long, white, cocoonish coat, he had on a simple black t-shirt with fishnets covering his arms underneath. His black dress pants had subtle gray pinstripes etched within the fabric, which looked like silk. He was…handsome. And, dare she say it, quite sexy. Those sunglasses were still on though…Did either of them ever take them off?

She caught her breath and took his pale hand in hers, allowing him to lead her into the dining room. A full dinner for three was set on the table, which included a tossed salad in a gargantuan bowl, a basket of dinner rolls, and a plate of smoked salmon covered in cracked pepper and lemon.

"I hope you haven't eaten yet," she heard Shino murmur.

"Oh no, not yet anyway. I just wouldn't want to impose…"

"Don't worry about a thing. Please, allow me to seat you."

He promptly walked over to a dining room chair and pulled it out, again gesturing with his hand for her to sit. _What a gentleman, _thought Nirika. _He must be really smart, too. _

As soon as she was sitting, Shino and Shibi went to the head of the table and stretched their arms out. _What are they doing? _Nirika wondered. No sooner had she thought this than a cloud of Kikaichu bugs was released from each of their arms and immediately flew over to the large salad bowl.

As Nirika gaped at the sudden appearance of the bugs (now feasting voraciously on the salad), Shino said, "Sorry you had to see that. But our Kikaichu have to eat too."

"Bu…but, the salad…"

"Don't worry," Shibi grinned. "There's another one in the kitchen that I made especially for us."

Nirika nodded her head, indicating she understood, but still couldn't pull her gaze away from all those ravenous bugs. Shino caught her staring and snickered, which was about the only thing that could have, and did, pull her out of her trance. Shino could laugh?

"Are you scared of them, Nirika?"

She decided it was best not to answer. "Could you please pass the salt?"

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**Still no reviews...but I'm hoping that there will be a few after this chapter. There are two more chapters, and I promise that they will be the best ones (I just have to finish editing them). So for now, please keep reading, and please review! I'm not asking for much, just a little feedback on what you think of the story so far and my OC character. The fourth chapter will be up very shortly!**


	4. A Startling Revelation

**Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to twiggy-shino, for being my first (and currently only) reviewer. It meant so much...and here's the fourth chapter (like I promised). The next one will be the last and longest, and should be up very soon as well!**

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"Thank you so much for dinner, Mr. Aburame. It was wonderful."

The meal was over now, and the three of them were currently in the kitchen. Nirika had volunteered to help clean the dishes since they had been so kind to invite her over. Shibi said he would have none of it, but Nirika had wormed her way past him, and was now leaning against a marbled green counter, a stack of plates at her side. The kitchen was just as eclectic as the rest of the house, with more assorted potted plants hanging from the ceiling and herbs bursting out of flowerbins lining the countertops. Nirika liked watching the bugs fly from hanging plant to hanging plant, examining the contents, then moving on. When she was finished wiping her stack of dishes, she turned towards the other two.

"As wonderful as dinner was, though, I would like to know the real reason why you've invited me over. It's been bugging me all night."

Shino and Shibi looked at each other and chuckled a little.

"What's so fu- oh. Right. The pun."

As soon as she started laughing, their laughter grew more intense. _Weird, _she thought. _These two are so stoic and serious when they're around other people, but when they're together, they sure joke around a lot. _She couldn't help but watch as Shino's mouth curved into a happy grin, covering much of his pale face. _It suits him._ _It really does._

"Well, Nirika," Shibi chimed in, after catching his breath. "There's really no 'problem', as I believe Shino mentioned to you before. The truth is, he heard that you were studying medicine with Hokage-sama, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Yes, I am." Nirika answered. In her head, she was thinking, _How the hell does Shino know that? _

"According to him, you've taken quite an interest in botany, and he thought that because we have such a diverse plant life here, you might be interested in learning the medicinal properties some of them have."

He then turned to Shino. "Listen, I have a meeting with Kurenai-sensei tonight. She said she wanted to inform myself and your other teammates' parents about the progress you've made on some of your more recent missions. Will you please show Nirika around?"

"Sure," Shino muttered. Nirika noticed he wasn't looking at his father.

"Oh! Thank you again for dinner, Mr. Aburame," Nirika said, bowing.

"You're very welcome, Nirika. Goodnight."

Nirika waited until she heard the front door close before whirling around to face Shino. She noticed that his usually white face was now a light pink; from blush or embarrassment, she couldn't tell.

"How did you know I was studying with Tsunade?" she shouted, spitting the words in his face. "There's no way you could've known that, unless you were spying on me or something! And inviting me over tonight by tricking me was bad enough to begin with!"

Shino was silent for a moment before murmuring, "I'm sorry, Nirika-san. The truth is, I have been spying on you."

"Wh-what?" Nirika stammered.

"Check your weapons pouch," Shino sighed.

Nirika took the strap off her shoulder and began poking at the contents inside. Suddenly, a tiny ladybug flew out of the bag and landed on Shino's outstretched index finger.

"She was only with you for about a week. That's all."

What he did next shocked her. He kneeled before her, his head bowed so low that it was touching the floor.

"Nirika-san, please forgive me. I had no intention of troubling you so."

Nirika could only gaze down at the thick mound of brown hair. Okay, so the whole ladybug thing had been a little creepy, and from what he was telling her, he _had_ been spying on her for a while. But the fact that he had gone this far, just to ask for forgiveness…it was enough to make her forget everything.

He winced, waiting for his punishment.

She grinned.

"Don't worry about it, Shino-kun."

He looked up in disbelief. Had she just said…

"Now, are you going to do what your father told you to, and show me around? Or are you going to spend the rest of the night on the kitchen floor?"

He noticed she was blushing profusely.

His face felt like it was on fire.

"S...Sure. I'll give you the grand tour of the house."

He got up slowly, and told her to follow him, all the while thinking. _Shino-kun._ So…they really were friends, after all.


	5. A Comforting Love

For the next hour, Shino lead her through the enchanted forest that was the Aburame home. Nirika couldn't remember a time were she'd had more fun studying. Shino was more than happy to explain every detail about the foliage, including indulging her with some very weird facts (like which bugs liked to mate in which plants). She could tell he was having fun, too, because he was actually laughing at some of her jokes.

_I can't believe he's smiling this much_, thought Nirika. _I thought he could only be funny around his father...have I gotten this much closer to him in such a short time?_ She smiled to herself as she followed him up the stairs and into a narrow hallway. This was much different than the rest of the house; there were no bugs or plants here, only wood paneling and a few doors leading to who knows where.

Shino stopped, his feet triggering some creaking noises from the floorboards, and turned around to face her. "Well, that was the downstairs floor. There's nothing up here except bedrooms, but…"

"But what?" Nirika asked.

"I…I thought you might be interested in some of the insects I have in my room."

Nirika hesitated before answering. Was he really…inviting her into his bedroom? She felt a little uncomfortable with the idea, and almost said no. But…it was just Shino, after all. He had the power to kill someone, but she had seen how much of a gentleman he was that night, and knew he wouldn't try anything dirty.

"Ah- alright. I'd love to see them." She had noticed her voice changing slowly over the course of the evening- she was stammering more and more now, as if she was embarrassed, or, heaven forbid, shy. Nirika knew she was never shy, and always voiced her opinions, especially around boys. So why was she...?

Shino started to walk down the hallway, but Nirika stood still.

"Shino?"

"Hmmm?" He turned around again to face her.

"I…I just wanted to say thank you, for doing all this. You didn't have to…"

Shino shrugged. "I thought you'd be mad at me."

"Well yeah, I was at first, but now…I see why you wanted to do this. You just wanted to help me out, right?"

She watched him as he shrugged again and turned away from her. "Yeah, that's it."

Nirika was confused. _Why won't he look at me anymore?_ she wondered. _There's got to be something big he's not telling me._ She didn't have any more time to wonder, however, as Shino reached for his bedroom door and pulled it open.

Nirika gasped.

"Wow! They're so…beautiful!!"

All the bugs that most girls would love were covering the walls of Shino's room, including butterflies, ladybugs, caterpillars and daddy-long legs. Most were free to flutter and roam as they pleased, but Nirika noticed that many other unusual looking insects, ones that looked more vicious in nature, were being kept in bug boxes on his shelves.

"I don't like imprisoning them like that," said Shino, reading her mind, "but they're insects that my father and I haven't researched yet. Once we find out their properties, then they are free to stay with us or leave if they want."

"But…why all these pretty bugs? Why not…you know, more manly ones?"

Shino smiled. "These insects help me relax better. Trust me, they're the perfect thing to come home to after a mission- besides my father's salad, that is."

Nirika giggled and proceeded to examine the caged insects. Some were no bigger than her fingernail, with spots and stripes on the shells covering their delicate abdomens, and others were over a foot long, with horns powerful enough to lift things ten times their size. It wasn't until she got to the end of the bottom shelf that she saw something very familiar.

"Hey, you!" she beamed, lifting up a green covered bug box. "I didn't think I'd get a chance to see you again!"

"What are you talking about?" Shino said.

"Oh, just this!" grinned Nirika, showing him the box. Inside was the bright blue butterfly she had encountered that morning. Its wings were still shimmering in the pale moonlight filtering in from Shino's bedroom window.

"Oh…yeah, this little guy did get away from me yesterday. Maybe it heard me talking about you and…" He abruptly covered his mouth and turned away from her. "Please…forget I said that. I'm very sorry."

"Shino…" Nirika placed the butterfly back on its shelf and looked at him, concerned. "I have this feeling that you're not telling me something. Could you please explain it to me? Because I'd like to know…"

She heard him exhale a deep sigh. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

Shino sighed again and shuffled over to his bed, sitting down on the edge of it. He clasped his hands together, placing his elbows on his thighs and resting his forehead against his hands.

"I- It's like this," Shino stammered. "I used to have this…this thing for Hinata. I really thought I was in love with her, and I would try my hardest to make her happy. I always loved it when she smiled…so I wanted to make her smile. I wanted to be the sole reason she had a smile on her face."

He exhaled deeply again. "But…she was always talking about Naruto. How wonderful Naruto was. How hard Naruto worked. How, even though he was clumsy, and loud, and awkward, and brash…he was strong. Stronger than me, or Kiba, or anyone…She only had eyes for him. And I couldn't change that, no matter how hard I tried."

His hands involuntarily clenched his dark brown hair. "So I tried to forget. I spent more and more time in the forest, searching for rare and unusual insects. It was all I could do to attempt to keep her out of my mind. Then, one day, I was in the forest…and saw you training."

Nirika didn't say a word. He unclasped his hands and placed them both over his glasses-covered eyes. She could see his shoulders shaking. Was he…crying?

"Lee was there too…and as I watched you both, I couldn't get over how strong you were…You're the only person able to use Psyjutsu, and you wield it so well…Your power was amazing. And I realized…" He began to shake more. "This incredible feeling washed over me, and…I was so confused. I didn't know what to do…so I sent that ladybug to stay with you. I wanted to know more about you, but I was too shy…I was afraid of being rejected again.

"No one except Kiba and Hinata know the real me…everyone else calls me a freak. They think I'm creepy because I have bugs in my body…which is an okay thing to think, but…"

She watched, helpless, as the tears made tiny rivulets on both of his cheeks.

"No one ever wanted to know the real me. No one ever seemed to ca…"

He was cut off abruptly when he felt a pair of arms wrap gently around his torso. He gasped with surprise and turned his head around to find Nirika, holding him tightly against her, her nose buried in his hair.

He heard her murmur, "I never thought you were creepy."

"Wh…what?"

"I will admit though…I was scared of you. I always thought you were a lot stronger than me, but I guess that's not the case anymore, now is it?" She smiled sweetly and pulled herself into a sitting position beside him.

"There's just one thing...it's the only thing I've feared about you, actually...and now, I think it's the only way for me to completely accept you."

"What is it?" Shino asked tentatively.

Nirika cringed, then blurted, "Could you please take off your glasses?"

Shino stared at her, completely stunned. Had she really just asked him to do that? The one part of him that he never let anybody see…except his father, of course, but…this was so different. What would he do? He couldn't show her…no, he wasn't ready…

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he heard her say. She sounded a million miles away, even though she was sitting no more than two inches from him.

"No," he heard himself murmur, his words defying what his mind protested. "I…I want to. Please…take them off."

"What? You'd rather have me…"

"Please, Nirika-chan."

She gasped at the way he was acting. He was back to being deathly serious Shino, nothing like he had been before. Or was he simply putting up a front to disguise the pain he was really feeling? Those glasses were his crutch, his support. If she took them off...everything he had been hiding from the world all these years would be shattered. _I shouldn't be doing this,_ Nirika thought._ But...I have to know. I just have to..._

Tentatively, she reached out her hand and grasped the frames, trying to be as delicate as possible. Sensing the tension in the air, and fearing that he might back out at the last possible second, she ripped the glasses off his face much more quickly than she intended.

They fell to the floor, making a resounding clattering noise. It echoed throughout the bedroom for what seemed like an eternity; the sound vibrations bouncing off the insects, the window, and the two forms sitting on the edge of the bed.

And there they were, exposed to the world. She watched him as he squinted a little at the change in brightness, then turned his head to face her.

She saw chocolate. The warmth and viscosity that was only found in the purest of milk chocolate. Poking through the porous surface, she found sadness. Sadness mixed with the tired eyes of a burdened soul. She wanted to dive into those warm brown pools, swim around for a bit. She wanted to flush out all the sadness, all the fatigue. But she couldn't. She was too overwhelmed by these eyes, these eyes that no one else had seen. The eyes he had only let her see.

They were her eyes. They were lonely eyes.

_I can't pull myself away from this,_ she thought, placing a pale hand against his equally pale cheek. _I can't…there must be something I can do. Anything. I just…_

"I'm sorry, Shino!" she cried, tearing her hand away and burying her face in his shoulder. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" he asked.

"I can't…I can't look at them anymore. They're so…" She couldn't describe them. The thoughts that were racing through her mind couldn't be put into words. But the thoughts that were coming from her heart…

"…lonely."

He was silent.

"They're the loneliest eyes I've ever seen, Shino."

"…I figured you'd say that," he said, turning away.

"But…but that doesn't mean that I don't want to do something about them!"

Now she was crying. Now she had a firm hold on his arm, and she was crying. Begging. Pleading. Whatever it was called. He didn't really care anymore. It was about her now…about what she wanted. He just didn't think that she wanted him.

"Please, Shino-kun…Please. I don't want your eyes to be lonely anymore. I…I love you, Shino."

He faced her again and stared, taking her in all at once. Her soft black hair, her sparkling blue eyes…Had she really just said…

"I love you…Shino Aburame."

The way she breathed his name sounded so perfect, so right. He closed his eyes and smiled, completely at bliss. He would've loved the moment even more if he had known what was coming next.

The kiss was awkward, yes, but it was warm, sweet and tender, the way a kiss should always be. She was breathing in the scent of pine trees and musk and moss, and he was inhaling the lavender bouquet that was completely Nirika. And she was wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her, and his hands were on her hips, wrapping around her middle and moving dangerously low and she didn't care. The moment was for them and them alone. They both savored their short time as a part of one another before Nirika gently pulled away. It wasn't until then that they noticed the insects in the room were going berserk with the sheer intensity of the romantic moment.

Nirika was laughing, and Shino was blushing.

And he no longer had lonely eyes.

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**NEXT DAY**

"So, Nirika, how'd the date with Shino go last night?" Mitsuko was always the gossiper, and had somehow managed to find out about the 'problem' Shino had claimed to have the day before. Raian was walking with them, on his way to train some more. It was just another beautiful day in Konoha.

"Oh, it was just fine. The...umm...problem was solved," Nirika answered, smiling and letting a tint of pink cover her cheeks.

"Huh? Nirika, you're turning red!" Mitsuko exclaimed.

Just then, a tiny ladybug, no bigger than her fingernail, crawled out of Nirika's weapon pouch and onto her shoulder. She giggled and placed her index finger next to it, allowing it to crawl on.

Raian's face began to twitch eeeever so slightly…

"GAAAH!! BUUUUG!!!!" he screamed, stampeding down the dirt road to who knows where.

Nirika burst out laughing along with Mitsuko. Overhead, a lone blue butterfly twisted and turned in the sky above, floating along with the clouds.

**THE END**

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So...how was it? Good? Bad? Should I write more? Please review...I'll give pie to those that do!! A big thank you to everyone that decided to read till the end! **


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